News from Mathnasium of Arden Arcade

Five Signs that your Child is Struggling with Math

Oct 5, 2017

Now that school is back in full swing, new math ideas are coming at students every day. Math topics taught in class today build on concepts taught in years prior; kids fall behind in math because they lack the prerequisite skills necessary to do well.

So, if a child is having a hard time keeping up in math, it’s important to act now. Fortunately, there are many telltale signs that a child is falling behind—parents simply need to know what to look for.

“When kids get stuck on a math idea, they aren’t likely to speak up. They’ll often just sit there, fall behind, and then become frustrated with their homework and classwork. Eventually, they can simply give up. Clearly, it’s important that parents address this problem early on so they can take the necessary steps to get their children back on track. The first step is recognizing that a problem exists,” said Amber Beckemeyer, Owner of the Mathnasium of Arden Arcade franchise.

Below are five signs that suggest a child is struggling with math:

Math grades are lagging, but student has good grades in other subjects.

Student demonstrates negative sentiments/low self-esteem regarding math, with child expressing boredom or making comments like “I’m no good at math.”

Missing key milestones. Addition/subtraction should be mastered by the end of 2nd or 3rd grade, multiplication and division by the end of 3rd–4th grade, fluency with fractions at the end of 5th–6th grade.

Physical signs like counting on fingers suggest poor retention of number facts.

Comments from the child’s teacher about “not working up to his or her full potential.”

If a child shows any of these signs, there are several things parents can do before the situation deteriorates. Seeking help from the student’s teacher is an obvious first choice. Offering to help the child more closely with homework is another. And, of course, enrolling in an after-school math program like Mathnasium that specializes in strengthening foundational knowledge while providing homework support is another option that brings professional help and expertise.

About Mathnasium

Mathnasium, the nation’s leading math-only learning center franchise, specializes in teaching kids math in a way that makes sense to them. When math makes sense, kids excel—whether they’re far behind or eager to get ahead. The proprietary Mathnasium Method™ is the result of 40+ years of hands-on instruction and research. Franchising since 2003, Mathnasium has become one of the fastest-growing educational franchises. There are over 700 Mathnasium franchises in the U.S. and abroad.

Our son really hated math before mathnasium. He really struggled and it made him depressed. Now he comes out excited to show us little tricks he learned. The 3rd time he went he said to me "I think I am starting to like math". I see confidence in him I haven't seen in a long time. I definitely believe mathnasium brought this back out of him. Thank you.